The Quarry
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After the destruction of Soul Society, an escaped Byakuya searches desperately to find the human girl, Orihime, who is the key to returning things to the way they were before...yaoi, yuri, mpreg...Ichigo/Byakuya, BazzB/Renji, Rikichi/Tetsuya, Rukia/Orihime, Yoruichi/Soi fon
1. Escape

**The Quarry**

**By Spunky0ne**

**Chapter 1: Escape**

Thunder cracked across the sky of the fallen Seireitei and the raven-haired man knew better than to slow for a moment. He ignored the icy chill under his bare feet that splashed in the puddles made by the falling rain, and the shivers that assailed his thin body under the poor white yukata he wore as more rain poured down on him. He fled the icy buildings of Silbern, desperate to put as much distance between the quincy king's seat of power and himself as he possibly could. His powers sealed under the red leather collar he wore, he knew he had to reach the precipice world before his absence was noticed, lest the agents of the king should know he had escaped and come after him. In his mind's eye, he saw the reason why...the two light blue hairpins that he had managed to steal from the king's quarters and secreted within his body, the ones that had belonged to the human girl, Orihime. He wasn't sure where the girl was now, only that he had to escape first and then make his way to her. With everyone in the king's thrall, he had no other way to preserve himself...and no other way to make things right again.

_It all hinges on the girl. He used her to set our fates on this altered path and only by returning these to her can things be put back as they were. Of course, she too has been affected by the king. She doesn't remember a thing, just like the rest of them. I don't know how Kisuke was able to help me remember. I don't know what grace enabled me to escape as I did, but now I must remain free. if I am taken, all chances are lost. If he finds me, it is all over!_

_I wonder how long it will be until he knows the hairpins are gone...until he realizes I have taken them and fled._

Thunder rumbled around him again and he was grateful for the disturbance of sound and rain that allowed him to evade the sights of the roaming quincy officers and guards. Still, he understood the dangers of remaining out in the open for much longer.

_I have to get out of sight!_

He removed the small device that Urahara Kisuke had slipped into his hand that morning, and watched with anxious eyes as a senkaimon opened in front of him.

_"You have to get to the living world as quickly as possible and hide there. You will be most vulnerable while you still wear the collar. I tried to find a way to get it off, but couldn't do it. There is a device in my lab that should be able to help you remove it safely. You have to get it off before the king knows you're gone. He's resting now. He'll sleep until morning. You have until he wakes to get the collar off. You fail, you die, we lose...but this time, there's no hope. Don't fail, Byakuya-san. You're our last hope._

Byakuya stepped into the precipice world and watched the gate close behind him. He stood for a moment, listening to the near silence, the little drips of the restrictive current that made up the ceiling, walls and floor of the Dangai corridor. Hearing no sounds of pursuit, nor any of anyone passing through, he broke into a run again, grateful that his power was held back so that it wouldn't react with the current in the Dangai and trigger a flood that could swallow him up. But even so, he pushed his weakened body hard, knowing that every minute counted, that all that had to happen was for someone...any of Ywach's allies or any of the ones he controlled...to notice him missing and activate the locator that would pinpoint his exact position, using the collar he wore.

_There is no use being afraid now. I must put everything into reaching Urahara Kisuke's laboratory._

Thankfully, luck was with him and he reached the Karakura Town exit undiscovered. He burst out of the opening gate and dropped down into the park near Kisuke's shop. Yet, even though it was night, he was stricken immediately with something being very wrong about the scene around him.

"What...?" he panted softly.

His eyes widened in distress at the signs of damage and neglect to the trees, bushes and landscape around him. The concrete walkway was cracked and broken in places, the flowers and bushes, torn up and tossed carelessly about. The grass, he could tell, was dry and would have been brown if lit by daylight.

"What has happened here?" he breathed, shivering harder.

He swallowed hard and kept to the shadows, making his way to the edge of the park, then starting down the street. Distress gnawed at his insides at seeing the damaged buildings, the aimless looking people who milled around on the sidewalks and the debris that laid everywhere.

_I suppose it's not wholly surprising that the war spilled over here too. Ywach gains strength with the death of every person he infects with bits of his soul. He probably came here and spread bits of his soul everywhere. That is why the living world, too, is in decay. How far we have all fallen!_

"Are you lost?" asked a low, rough voice as a hand came down on Byakuya's slim shoulder.

He sensed the man's intent and turned swiftly, taking hold of the man's arm and striking him twice in the midsection, dropping him into a panting, hissing heap.

"I am fine," he answered coldly, slipping back into the shadows.

He was more careful after that to avoid the denizens of the town, but his heart ached at what had happened to the place that the Shiba heir had once called home.

_Without shinigamis to perform konso, the souls here just die and give more power to the quincy king. There is no balance of souls...nothing but his darkness everywhere!_

He shoved away the thought and the almost overwhelming feeling of despair that went with it.

_We haven't time for despair. We must act!_

He reached the end of the block and found himself at the place he had been seeking, but anger and disappointment flared in his belly at finding the shop ransacked and partially burned...barely standing. Still, he stepped carefully into the tumble of wood and debris, placing his bare feet carefully to avoid exposed nails and broken glass. His feet were cut and bleeding in moments, but he barely felt the pain, so intent was he on reaching the shopkeeper's lab.

Thankfully, the ones who had destroyed the place hadn't realized that the lab had a secret wall at the back, and although the outer room had been liberated of its computer, as well as anything else of any value, the hidden room was untouched and had just the implements that Kisuke had compelled him to find.

_"Use the reiatsu mimic to key open the collar, then put it in the reiatsu scrambler and destroy it. Burn any leftover pieces. Don't leave any of it. And when you're done, take whatever supplies are there and get out. That's one of the first places they'll look for you. I gave you the list of hideouts where you can look for the girl. Memorize it and destroy it. Don't let that fall into the wrong hands."_

Byakuya scoured the drawers and found the small appliance he was looking for, then touched the button to turn it on. His hands shook slightly as he touched the device to the leather collar's sensor pad.

_"It should disable the thing so you can get it off," the shopkeeper told him, "There is a small chance of failure..."_

_"What happens if it fails?"_

_"The collar chokes you to death," Kisuke answered, matter-of-factly, "Let's hope that doesn't happen."_

Byakuya flinched and closed his eyes as the collar buzzed fitfully, but it remained loose around his neck, and after a few second, he was able to release the clasp and slip it off. A relieved sigh escaped the noble as he dropped the collar into the reiatsu scrambler as he had been ordered to and watched as it disintegrated. He touched another button and a small blaze of fire burned the remains, leaving nothing of the restraining device. Byakuya looked around and found a cupboard containing a number of gigais. He found one that looked the right size and slipped it on, covering his reiatsu so that, even when it was discovered he was missing, he wouldn't be sensed.

_But I cannot use my powers. Any use will betray me to the enemy. For now, I am human and I must remain so until I find the girl._

He searched more of the cupboards and found a small emergency pack containing survival items and food rations. He used some of the first aid supplies to treat his injured feet, then closed the pack again.

"Thank you, Urahara-san," he whispered, slinging the pack over his shoulder.

He left the hidden room and made his way back outside, grateful for the shoes on the gigai that now protected his recovering feet. The darkness in the sky was beginning to recede as he left the remains of the shop. He kept to the fading shadows as he set out in the direction of the first safe house where the human girl and her protectors could be hiding.

As Byakuya reached the end of the street, he heard sudden shouts and a group of men surrounded him, led by the one who had tried to accost him earlier. He reacted instantly, blocking each incoming strike and slipping free of the grasping hands that reached for him.

"Come here, you bastard!" his first assailant screamed, "You're gonna pay for putting hands on me!"

Byakuya ducked the man's hands, but was forced to turn to fend off another man's extended foot. As he evaded, he felt something strike the back of his head and his vision dimmed for a moment. Another hard kick sent him staggering into the street. In the next terrifying moment, he heard tires screech and felt an unforgiving impact on his humanized body. A normal gigai would have released him, at that point. But the type he wore, being one meant to hide him from Ywach's eyes remained tight around his body as he was thrown off the side of the road and down an embankment. He heard his attackers following and breathed a shuddering sigh of relief at falling into the river, which carried him quickly away from them. Unfortunately, the impact of the car had damaged his humanized body and he was barely able to pull himself to the edge of the water, a considerable distance away from the shop. He spotted blood dripping from a wound on one leg and tasted it in his mouth.

_I am basically human now and I have been hit by a car. I won't be able to continue much longer. But...there is no one to go to. There is no one to help until I reach the ones I am looking for!_

Byakuya groaned in distress, his body screaming with stinging pain as he crawled behind some bushes and tried to think of what to do.

_It's no good if I die here..._

He spotted a sign for a hospital and crawled out of the bushes, heading for it. His insides stung and blood leaked from his mouth as he moved, and he was only halfway there when he lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground.

A few minutes later, a scrawny boy emerged from the brush near the fallen noble. He edged towards the unconscious man.

"Hey...mister?" he said softly.

The man on the ground didn't move or make a sound.

"Is he...dead?" asked a girl's voice from somewhere behind the boy.

The boy moved closer and bent over the raven-haired man.

"No, he's breathing, but he's really hurt," he reported to the girl, "I think we should just take the pack and go. He's going to die anyway."

"But Jun!" the girl objected, "He is alive. We can't leave him to die!"

"What do you want me to do?" the boy asked angrily, "If we try to get him to the hospital, we'll be seen and one of the gangs might grab one of us...or both of us. Do you want that?"

"No," the girl answered, sniffing softly as she emerged from the bushes and approached the collapsed man, "But it isn't right, Jun. Mama and Papa would..."

"Mama and Papa are dead!" the boy snapped, "And if we want to survive, we have to take what we can get. Now, we're taking the pack and going. Do you understand?"

"But Jun!"

The children's heads turned as voices sounded from a short distance away.

"Hey, what are you kids doing?" a male voice called out.

Jun pulled the pack free and the raven-haired man groaned weakly.

"Come on! Run!" the boy shouted.

The two fled as a man crossed the street and hurried to the collapsed figure on the ground. He bent over Byakuya, retrieving a stethoscope from within his lab coat and quickly assessing the injured man's breathing and pulse, then noting his extensive injuries.

"Is he alive?" another man called to him, approaching, carrying a stretcher.

"Yeah, but he's been hit by more than those kids," the first man stated with certainty, "He must've been hit by a car and crawled away or something. Come on, let's get him inside."

The two carefully immobilized the injured man's body and placed him on the stretcher, then they carried him back across the street to the hospital and inside.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, no lazing around!" Bazz-B snarled, snapping the whip in his hand across the back of the young, raven-haired shinigami that had fallen onto his knees in the tumble of debris he had been removing.

Fresh blood welled up beneath the collared shinigami's thin yukata, staining it as the quincy struck him again. Bazz-B drew back to strike the young man a third time, but paused and his eyes widened as a rough, tanned hand rose and the end of the whip wrapped around it.

"Hey, take it easy, all right?" the red-haired man said, scowling, "You bastards barely give us anything to eat. You should expect us not to have much strength. That's what your king wanted, isn't it?"

Bazz-B growled and struck the red-haired man across the face, making him stagger back and fall.

"Renji-san, stop!" the young man on the ground pleaded, crawling towards him.

"Get back!" Bazz-B yelled, kicking the dark-haired noble in the chest and knocking him backwards.

The quincy moved forward, power blazing around one hand.

"All right, I warned you assholes that I wouldn't take any shit from you. Now, you're gonna pay! Burner finger number one!"

Bazz-B's face registered surprise and annoyance as another quincy officer stepped in front of him and stopped his attack.

"What th'fuck! Get outta my way, bitch!" he shouted at the golden-haired woman who blocked his path.

"Orders from his majesty," the woman snapped, glaring at him, "This one's cousin escaped last night and stole something from the king's room. He wants us to use these two to find the bastard."

"What th'hell? What a damned pain!" Bazz-B complained, "Fine, get'em outta here. They're useless for anything anyway!"

" Come on," the woman said impatiently as Renji helped his friend up, "You're coming with me."

"I won't help him find Byakuya-sama!" the raven-haired noble exclaimed, earning a sound slap across the face.

"You'll do what his majesty tells you to!" she demanded, "He'll make sure of it. You'll see. He has ways of making people do what he wants. Five seconds with the king and you two'll do anything his highness asks. Just wait."

"Renji-san," the noble whispered, "what do we do? If he..."

"I know," Renji whispered back as the two followed the golden-haired woman back to the palace, "We can't really do anything about it, Tetsuya. Just...do your best to resist."

"But you saw how the others acted after he affected them! I don't want to betray my cousin! I would rather die!"

The woman led the two battered young men into the throne room and stopped in front of the throne.

"Here they are, your majesty."

"Thank you, Candice," the king said softly.

His strange eyes glared down at the two.

"Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Tetsuya," he said quietly, "what do you know about the disappearance of Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Renji and Tetsuya exchanged mystified glances.

"Nothing," Renji answered, "We haven't even been allowed to see him. You can check with our guards. We've been on repair duty."

"So I heard," Ywach said calmly, "but I am sure that you must know something. Plans had to have been made for him to escape...and to know what to steal from me. Someone helped him. If it was not you, then you must know who. Who helped him?"

"Renji told you we don't know!" Tetsuya insisted, stepping forward and clenching his trembling hands together, "And even if I did know something, I wouldn't tell you!"

"What happened to your foresight?" Renji sneered, "It doesn't work so well down here in the Seireitei, huh?"

"I am limited in its use here," the king admitted, "but that will end when my new palace above is finished. In any case, the two of you are going to assist me."

"Eat shit, bastard!" Renji yelled, "We're not doing anything for you!"

"We won't do anything against my cousin!" Tetsuya added belligerently.

"Oh," said the king, his lips smiling cruelly, "of course you will."

Renji and Tetsuya stepped back, turning to run as the king's power flared around them. But they found the way blocked and the sphere of energy closing in around them from all sides.

"You see, there is only my will and none other," Ywach said quietly, watching raptly as his power reached the two shinigamis and their defiant screams sounded within the storm inside the sphere. The two struggled bravely, but slowly dropped to their knees, then collapsed onto the floor. Bach waited a few seconds longer, watching the power roar around the two, tormenting them into near unconsciousness, then he withdrew his power and glared down at the two as they panted and shook, slowly recovering. When they sat up, their eyes had taken on a blank, empty look and they knelt in a docile fashion at the king's feet.

"Kuchiki Tetsuya, Abarai Renji," the king intoned calmly, "Kuchiki Byakuya has taken something from me. You will find him, kill him and take it back."

He paused as a flash step sounded and Shiba Ichigo appeared in the room.

"Ah, my son," Ywach said approvingly, "You will accompany these two with orders to find and kill Kuchiki Byakuya. Bring the item he carries back to me."

Ichigo's golden brown eyes blinked slowly.

"Yes, Father," he answered quietly.

He turned to the two who knelt in front of the king.

"Come on," he urged them.

Ywach watched, wearing a smug smile as the three left the room. He waited until the room was quiet, then touched a button on the arm of his throne.

"Your majesty?" Haschwald's voice inquired.

"Bring me Kuchiki Rukia," he requested, "I am in the mood for some entertainment."

Ichigo led Renji and Tetsuya out of the palace and along the icy streets until they reached a remote area. He turned them into one of the partially destroyed buildings and swiftly knocked them unconscious, then removed a device from his pocket and spoke into it.

"Kisuke," he whispered, "are you there?"

"Yeah," said the shopkeeper's voice through the device, "What is it?"

"He got Renji and Tetsuya. Can you help me get them back?"

"Not right now. I'm being tracked. Yoruichi and I have to move. What did he tell you to do?"

"He knows Byakuya escaped with Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka," Ichigo reported, "He ordered us to kill Byakuya and take them back."

"Damn..."

"What is it?"

"He knows that Tetsuya was Byakuya's head of house security and personal bodyguard. Tetsuya's going to have him in a matter of minutes if you're not careful. Renji's less of a worry unless you find Byakuya. Then, you have to worry about his powers."

"I have the controls for their collars, but I don't want them loose until I've got them back in their right minds."

"Right," Kisuke agreed, "Go to my shop and see if you can use the disruptor to snap them back."

"All right."

"And Ichigo, be careful. We don't want them to find Orihime. If they do and they kill her, it's all over. If a choice has to be made, we have to let Byakuya go, you hear me? You can't let your personal feelings get in the way."

"I know that," Ichigo answered in a low, angry voice, "But it's not going to come down to that. I'm going to protect them both."

"Just don't let the Shun Shun Rikka or Orihime fall into the hands of the king again or he will kill her."

"Got it," Ichigo said off-handedly, snapping the communicator shut.

He let out a disgusted breath.

"No way I'm letting Byakuya die," he whispered, "We're gonna get through this. We're gonna fix this!"

He moved back to his two companions and woke them, admonishing them brusquely for 'sleeping on the job,' then hustling them into a senkaimon and leading them through the darkness.

Behind them, two shinigamis with blank, empty eyes followed.

"The king said not to let them sense us," Hisagi Shuuhei informed his taicho.

Kensei gave him a heated look and nodded.

"We don't have to worry about the prince or Abarai sensing us. Just watch out for Kuchiki Tetsuya. He's under the king's power, but he's slippery."

"Yeah."

The two entered the precipice world and sank into the shadows, following Ichigo and his companions through the darkness and into Karakura Town.


	2. Lost

**Chapter 2: Lost**

"Ishida-dono, thank you for coming in to consult," said the emergency room doctor, "We have an adult male, age approximately twenty-two to twenty-five years. He received some kind of traumatic impact. There were no witnesses, but his injuries suggest he was hit by a motor vehicle. He was unconscious when found, no identification. Our initial exam revealed signs of concussion, fractures of the right arm, right femur and several ribs on the right torso. We suspect internal bleeding and immediate surgery will be necessary to control it. Vital signs are weakening."

"Then, we had best get started quickly," Ryuuken said, frowning with concern, "I will go and scrub. Have your team prep him as quickly as you can."

"He is already prepped and ready when you are, sir!"

"Arigato, Seiji-san!"

The emergency room doctor turned and jogged back in the direction of the surgical room, while Ryuuken hurriedly changed into clean scrubs, masked, washed and gloved himself, then moved to join the others.

Ryuuken approached the unconscious patient and quickly ran through a final assessment. As he studied the man's face, his body stiffened slightly and his gaze intensified, but he carefully controlled his expression. He remembered the coded communication from his son that had reported the progression of the quincy king's overtaking of Soul Society.

_This is one of his concubines, the one who used to lead the Kuchiki clan! Kuchiki Byakuya...Uryu said that he escaped and that many enemies will be looking for him._

He bit his lip gently and leaned closer to the man, invoking his power and watching closely as the monitors around the former noble beeped furiously.

"Ishida-dono, he has gone into cardiac arrest!" Seiji exclaimed, grabbing the defibrillator paddles and preparing them swiftly.

Ryuuken's head bowed slightly and he distorted the reiatsu around the patient so that when the other doctor set the paddles in place, they were not in contact with Byakuya's body.

"Clear!"

The quincy doctor sent a soft, harmless jolt through Byakuya's muscles, making his body jump as though in reaction to the shock. He focused hard as the monitors continued to beep fiercely.

"Still no heartbeat or respiration, sir!" a nurse called out.

Ryuuken continued the charade as the others attempted defibrillation a second time, then a third. He leaned over Byakuya, then, angling his body so that the others couldn't see and feigned giving an injection into the patient's heart. For several minutes longer, the surgical staff worked furiously at trying to revive the man on the table, but finally Ryuuken closed his eyes softly in defeat.

"Please note the time of death," he said quietly.

The faces of his associates reflected deep sadness at the admission and they were silent as Seiji noted the time and the surgical nurse laid a sheet over the deceased man's body. Ryuuken sighed unhappily and exited the room. Seiji followed as an orderly wheeled the dead patient away.

"You did the best you could," the emergency room doctor assured his colleague, "He was in very poor shape when he arrived. I feel bad we don't even know his name."

"Yes," Ryuuken agreed, "But these days we see so many of them that we have little hope of finding the family."

"Only if they come looking for him."

"Right."

"Thank you again for coming to assist us."

"I did nothing for that man."

"You were more likely to be able to help him than anyone," Seiji chided him, "If you could not save him, then he could not be saved."

Ryuuken sighed again wearily.

"Thank you."

He left the emergency room and walked to his car, then drove it out of the parking lot and parked it a short distance away. Using his reiatsu to mask his return, he moved swiftly back to the hospital and slipped in through the back door. He ran to the morgue, where he waited until the attendant working in the room turned off the lights and exited. Then, he slipped inside and quickly located the concubine's body and lifted him onto a gurney. He turned back and removed a second, similar body from another cold chamber, pausing to use reiatsu to alter his features to match Byakuya's. He stole a measure of Byakuya's reiatsu and infused the fake's body with it, then placed the stranger's body in Byakuya's chamber. He pushed the gurney to the door and peered out to make sure the area was clear, then used his reiatsu again to distort whatever the hospital security cameras might pick up.

Grateful for the cover of darkness, Ryuuken fled to where he had left his car, then carefully placed Byakuya in the back seat. He paused to infuse stabilizing reiatsu into the concubine's immobilized form.

"You will be all right with rest and care," he said, though he was aware that Byakuya probably couldn't hear him, "The gigai you are in was badly damaged, but I can't remove it or you will be tracked. I am going to take you to another doctor who will help you. I would take care of you myself, but too many people will be coming to me to ask questions. I think you understand why I can't let you fall into the wrong hands. We may not be friends, but I am not your enemy, Kuchiki Byakuya. The king is a tyrant, and our hope lies in someone like you. Please continue your quest. Please succeed. The world has become too dark a place for us. Do not fail us."

He left Byakuya sleeping in the back seat and drove his car away, taking a circuitous route and changing cars twice before arriving at a quiet cottage, several towns away from Karakura Town. He lifted Byakuya out of the back seat and carried him to the doorstep of the cottage, where he left him with a note pinned to his hospital gown. He drove away and returned home, where he found his son already there and waiting for him.

"Uryu?" he greeted the young man quietly.

"You were gone a long time," Uryu noted, "I heard there was a man brought to the hospital that fit the missing concubine's description."

Ryuuken looked back at him silently.

"I checked and I learned that you had operated on this patient and he died."

"Yes."

"But when I looked at the body, I found it was not Kuchiki Byakuya, but a fake."

Ryuuken held his breath and said nothing. Uryu studied him carefully for a moment.

"It is apparent to me that Kuchiki Byakuya was only feigning death and must have set up the dummy to confuse anyone pursuing him."

"Is that so?" Ryuuken mused, "He is still quite strategic."

"Yes. He is being pursued by Ichigo, as well as Tetsuya and Renji. I sensed another two powerful men following as well, but I don't know them."

"Hmmm."

"I have to return to the king and give him a report," Uryu said solemnly, "You will please pass on anything you learn directly to me."

"Of course."

He watched with conflicted eyes as his son turned away and disappeared, then he sighed and moved to his liquor cabinet to make himself a drink. He sipped at it slowly, looking in the direction Uryu had gone.

"Be careful, Son," he whispered, "If you pretend too hard, you will become one of them."

XXXXXXXXXX

"What's wrong, Yuzu?" Karin yawned, looking sleepily up at her whimpering sister.

"I heard a thump outside and someone knocked on the door," Yuzu informed her, "What do we do? What if it's _them_?"

"If it was them, they would have broken in and grabbed us by now," Karin assured her, "Let's go and get Dad."

The two girls ran out of their bedroom on silent feet, slipping into the darkened hallway and creeping into Isshin's bedroom on tiptoes. They approached their sleeping father quietly, Karin shaking her head at his loud snoring.

"If the reason we're here is to hide, he really sucks at it," she said dryly.

Despite still feeling a little spooked, Yuzu giggled. Isshin snorted and sat up quickly.

"Wha...huh? Where's the fire?" he demanded.

"There's no fire," Karin said, frowning, "Yuzu heard a thump and a knock at the door."

"Hmmm, okay," their father said, his face turning serious, "You two stay back and let me deal with it. It's probably nothing, just someone fooling around, but..."

He left the sentence hanging and climbed out of bed, wrapping a robe around himself and moving cautiously towards the front door. He peered out the peephole for a moment, then scowled.

"Looks like a drunk. Hang on..."

He opened the door and his frown deepened.

"Hey Buddy, you can't be sleeping here. You'll have to..."

He broke off, staring as he recognized the unconscious man's face.

"Kuchiki Byakuya?" he breathed, his heart pounding, "What the hell is he doing here?"

He spotted the note and instantly recognized the handwriting.

"Karin, Yuzu, let's get him inside, before someone sees him here!"

The three lifted Byakuya carefully and carried him to an empty bedroom.

"Stupid ass, Ishida!" Isshin muttered, laying the unconscious man in bed and quickly checking his vital signs, "Just leaving him like that. Anyone could have found him. I just hope to kami he didn't lead anyone here while he was being such an idiot!"

"No one's around. It's the middle of the night," Karin observed, "And if he was worried about someone following, he couldn't hang around very long, could he?"

"Well, why'd he have to bring this guy here? Everyone knows he's one of Ywach's lov...erm..._special prisoners_!"

"You know, we're not stupid, Dad," Karin reminded him, "We know that guy keeps good looking men around to have sex with. You don't have to..."

"Hey! That's no way to talk. Be quiet and go get the first aid kit, ice and a wet washcloth."

"I'll get them!" Yuzu volunteered.

"Okay, Karin, can you try to find a warmer blanket to put over him?"

"Sure."

Isshin frowned as he continued to assess Byakuya's battered body.

"I'd say this wasn't just your sugar daddy playing rough," he sighed, "Sure made a mess of your gigai, not to mention, beat up your soul too. You're a wreck, Byakuya. Luckily, I'm good at putting broken things back together, although it would be easier if I could get this damned gigai off...but that wouldn't be good, ne? Don't want that psychopath following you here. And by the way, you do know that if you attract attention to us, I'm going to have to kill you. I went to a lot of trouble to find a safe place for the girls. I won't have it all be just for nothing."

He blinked in surprise as Byakuya groaned and his eyelids fluttered and opened. The former Kuchiki leader met Isshin's eyes blankly.

"Hey, are you all right?" Isshin asked worriedly.

"What happened?" Byakuya asked, wincing and putting a palm to his head, "How did I get here? Who are you?"

"Man, you really took a whack on the head, didn't you? It's me...Kurosaki...erm, Shiba Isshin. You know, former taicho of squad ten? Disappeared from the Seireitei?"

"S-squad ten?" Byakuya repeated, looking confused, "Seireitei?"

"Eh," Isshin mused, scratching the back of his neck, "You do know who _you_ are, don't you?"

Byakuya's dark eyes widened in distress.

"I don't know," he said breathlessly, "I don't remember...anything!"

"Whoa, you mean like why you came to town, or are we talking, don't know your own face in the mirror?"

Byakuya looked back at him with growing terror.

"I can't remember anything at all!" he insisted.

"Okay...okay, it's all right," Isshin assured him, "You know, when you get hit on the head, your memory can be affected, but usually, it will come back okay. And I didn't see any signs of brain or neurological damage to you. I think if that damned gigai wasn't pretty much fused with you, you would have your powers right now, but it seems like they're holding them back...probably so that King Psycho can't find you."

"K-king Psycho?" Byakuya repeated looking more and more alarmed, "Gigai? Powers?"

"Take it easy. He won't find you here," Isshin said soothingly, "Look, I know you're confused right now, but I'm going to advise you to focus on your physical recovery for now. Even if you don't know who you are, I do. You're Kuchiki Byakuya, former head of the Kuchiki noble clan. For now, all you need to know is that there is a king over Soul Society, the place where you live. He conquered it a little while back and took you and other...erm...good looking nobles as his..._special prisoners_. It seems that you escaped him and there are people after you. I'm going to help you with your recovery and when your memory comes back, we can figure out why you went to Karakura Town."

Byakuya blinked slowly, his heart still beating uncomfortably fast and his head aching fiercely.

"Why I went to Karakura Town..." he whispered, shaking his head, then wincing, "I have no idea why I was there. I could have just planned to hide there from the king."

"Well," Isshin said, smirking, "you are really good looking. I'll give you that. But if Ywach was that intent on finding you, I'll bet it's not because he misses the cuddles. You have something, or you know something important."

Byakuya scowled.

"I am almost naked! Where would I be hiding anything? And if I know something, I don't remember it, so it would be useless to ask me!" he snapped.

"Hey, take it easy," Isshin said, putting up his hands and smiling sadly, "You're starting to act more like yourself, so your memory should be along soon. Just rest here and don't do anything stupid like leaving. You wouldn't know who your enemies are if you left. You'd be in their hands in a second."

"And that matters to you because...?" Byakuya asked pointedly.

Isshin took a steadying breath.

"It matters because of my son."

"Your son?"

"Yeah," Isshin answered, taking out his wallet and showing Byakuya a picture of a ginger-haired young man with a wide, charming smile.

The raven-haired man gazed at the picture, trying to conjure any connection.

"What is your son's association with me?" Byakuya asked.

"He's in love with you," Isshin replied, matter-of-factly.

"I...thought I was a sexual plaything of the king," the noble objected, "Do you mean to say...?"

"What I'm telling you is that I know my kid. And some time back, when he heard that Soul Society had been invaded, he went rushing there to help. The last thing he said to me before he left was that he was not leaving _Byakuya and the others_ to die. He put your name first."

"And you think it means he was in love with me?"

"It was that and other things...the way he said your name...things like that. You know."

"No, I don't."

"I guess not," Isshin said sheepishly, "But whatever. Ichigo would want me to help you out, so I'm going to heal you and get you on your feet. I'll also see if I can get word to him that you're here. I have to be really careful. I don't want us to be found. We're on the king's capture list because of his connection to Ichigo."

Byakuya looked past Isshin to where his two daughters stood in the doorway.

"I am endangering you and your girls by being here?" he mused softly, his dark eyes regretful at the thought.

"Don't worry about it," Isshin assured him, "Just let us heal you and then we'll get you back on your way, okay?"

Byakuya sighed.

Even if I was well enough to leave, I wouldn't know where to go," he concluded, "I thank you for your help, Shiba Isshin."

"Heh, don't do that," Isshin chuckled, "It's scary when you start being nice to me."

"W-we didn't get along when we knew each other before?" the noble asked.

"Eh...well, you just complained I had _relaxed priorities_ sometimes. Then, there was that whole thing where I disappeared for a while. I'm sure you and the other taichos weren't happy about that. But in any case, we're allies, and you need allies right now. You've got a guy after you who's used to getting what he wants. Just stay put and let us help you. We'll make sure you find Ichigo."

"That does seem to be the best option, considering my physical and mental state," Byakuya admitted, "I would be grateful for your assistance."

"Good, let's get you cleaned up."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Can you sense if he was here?" Ichigo asked, watching as Tetsuya scanned the debris-ridden entry to the wrecked shop.

"He was," Tetsuya confirmed, pacing slowly along the hallway, "There are traces of his reiatsu here."

Tetsuya and Renji moved along the hallway and to the entry into Kisuke's laboratory. Ichigo followed them inside and paused by the door.

"His presence dissipates in this area," Tetsuya continued, "He must have found a gigai to conceal his reiatsu."

"Can you still trace him?"

"Perhaps. Even if his reiatsu is hidden, it can escape a little at times if there is some kind of disruption or impact. And if he uses his powers at all, I will sense him."

"Look at this," Renji said, pointing out a small machine, "It's been used recently."

"It's a reiatsu disruptor of some kind," Tetsuya concluded, studying the device, "He may have used this to remove his collar."

"Then, he destroyed it in the thing over here," Renji added, pointing to another device.

Ichigo frowned thoughtfully.

_I could use the disruptor to try to get Tetsuya and Renji back in their right minds, but it would put us all at risk if Ywach figured out I did that. He has to keep thinking I've given in. On the other hand, Tetsuya's too good at finding Byakuya. I have to be sure if he does find him, he doesn't bring hell down on us all. Shit...what should I do?_

He was jolted out of his thoughts as Tetsuya stiffened and placed a hand on his sword.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"Someone is here," Tetsuya reported, "I sensed two presences, but they quickly concealed themselves. We are likely being watched...either by king's operatives or someone working with Byakuya-sama."

_Damn, I guess it's good I didn't use that thing on them, then. If we're being watched by the king, I could have given myself away...although if he's having me followed, it means he doesn't trust me as much as he pretends to._

"All right," he said calmly, "I want you two to try to figure out who's following us. I'll continue the search for Byakuya."

"Are you sure that is the best option?" Tetsuya asked, "I am better at tracking him."

"I'll find him," Ichigo said firmly, "You guys just find out who's behind us, watching. We don't want any unpleasant surprises. We may not be the only ones with an incentive to capture that guy."

"Very well," the blue-eyed noble answered, turning away.

Ichigo watched as the two left, then he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

_I hope you're okay, Byakuya._

He left the shop and walked out onto the street. People gave him wary glances as they passed and he couldn't help but feel a stinging ache inside at what his hometown had become.

_Ywach has wrecked Karakura Town, Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. He's a monster. And all of our hope for getting rid of him hangs on finding Byakuya and Orihime._

Ichigo was dragged out of his thoughts by a male voice that sounded nearby.

"It happened over there," the man said, pointing, "A car hit him and he fell down the embankment. They searched, but couldn't find the body."

His heart pounding, Ichigo crossed the street and moved towards the place the man had indicated to his friend. He sensed the area carefully and stiffened as he connected with Byakuya's familiar presence.

"Oh no!" he gasped softly, running down the embankment and following the edge of the river, "Byakuya!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"You see?" Kensei said, holding Hisagi by the arm to avoid them being seen as Tetsuya and Renji emerged from the destroyed shop, "I told you the Kuchiki guy is sharp."

"He would have spotted me," Hisasi agreed, "Sorry. I should have been more careful."

"It's okay. No harm done this time. Just be more cautious in the future. You don't want Ywach on our asses."

"N-no," Shuuhei said, shivering at the thought, "I've seen what he does to the guys he sleeps with."

"Well, he'd be more likely to just kill us, but I understand your concern there. I think he's more evil in bed than he is when he just murders someone. But he's the boss, so we follow orders."

"Do you think those two will find us?"

"I'm not sure," Kensei admitted, "We'll wait here while they do their thing and follow later."

His lips curved into a smirk and he turned suddenly and pushed the slighter man up against the low wall they stood next to.

"H-hey!" Shuuhei objected, struggling.

"Relax," Kensei said, tracing the other man's facial markings with an enthusiastic fingertip, "I just thought while we wait, I could teach you a little lesson for almost giving us away."

"But what about Tetsuya-san?"

"You let me worry about him," Kensei directed the younger officer, closing in and rubbing his body against Shuuhei's provocatively.

Shuuhei's lips parted as the other man's closed over them and he moaned into Kensei's powerful, attacking mouth. He surrendered easily to the strong hands that reached beneath his clothes to explore his naked flesh as they kissed. Those hands teased him for several moments, then pushed him slowly down to his knees.

"Show me how sorry you are for that mistake," he chuckled, running his fingers through the other man's spiked black hair.

Shuuhei laughed softly and left his superior to watch as he knelt and delivered his most thorough and dutiful apology.


	3. Pariah

**Chapter 3: Pariah**

Byakuya woke to a deep horrid ache that seemed to be everywhere and left him with an inclination to hold very still, so as not to incite more agony. But even breathing seemed to exacerbate the pain, until he found he was moaning feverishly and longing to become unconscious so that he wouldn't be forced to endure the pain anymore. He wondered if he should call out for help, but already felt like a huge inconvenience to the family in hiding that had taken him in.

_They were already in danger from this king who is after me. I would not want to endanger them even more. They are good, kind people to take in a stranger. Except that, while I feel like they are strangers to me, they know who I am...or at least, who I was. This is so confusing._

His head turned reflexively as the bedroom door opened, and pain exploded through his head, neck, back and arms. He was sure he couldn't have been responsible for the deep, guttural cry of agony that sounded, and he felt a blush in that he had suffered such a loss of control in front of the younger of Shiba Isshin's two daughters.

_Yuzu, I think her name was..._

"S-sorry," he managed, fighting the dampness that had come into his eyes.

"I'll go and get Papa," the girl said, turning and sprinting out of the room.

"N-no, it's..."

Byakuya sighed.

_So much for not being a burden._

A few moments later, a heavier step sounded outside the room and Shiba Isshin appeared, carrying a syringe.

"I don't know how you're awake again already," he commented, shaking his head, "I gave you enough painkillers and sedatives to stun an elephant! But then, you are pretty tenacious, aren't you?"

"I w-wouldn't know," Byakuya managed dryly.

"Right," Isshin chuckled, inserting the needle into the concubine's arm and injecting the painkiller, "Now, hopefully, you do the sensible thing and go back to sleep for a while."

"I should go," Byakuya said weakly, "I am endangering you and your children. I d-don't want to be the cause of h-harm to them."

"Like you'd get ten feet before you collapsed," Isshin said skeptically, "Don't worry about anyone finding you. I have all kinds of protections around us. And hey, someone just arrived who's going to help get you on your feet and out of here."

Byakuya looked up curiously as the ginger-haired young man his benefactor had said was his son entered the room, then hurried to his side.

"Byakuya!" he cried, "what the hell happened to you? I overheard some guys in Karakura Town say that someone had been hit by a car, and I sensed your reiatsu at the scene. Then, I heard a rumor that you died at the hospital there. I couldn't believe when Dad messaged me that you were here. How did you get here?"

"It was Ishida Ryuuken," Isshin explained, when Byakuya only answered with widened, confused eyes, "He said that he was called in for a trauma case and recognized Byakuya from a description by Ishida Uryu of the missing king's concubine."

"Shit! Uryu doesn't know we're here, does he?"

"Don't worry," Isshin assured him, "Ryuuken didn't tell him anything. Not that he's actually on the king's side, but his loyalties are murky, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Ichigo said darkly, "I think a lot of people's are right now. It's the only way not to end up brainwashed and used by him."

He looked down at Byakuya and took a seat in the chair by the bed.

"But maybe things have a chance to get better, now that you're here."

"What do you mean? Better how?" Byakuya asked, "What do you expect I will do?"

"You stole back Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka." Ichigo explained, "We just have to find her and figure out how to use them to undo whatever Ywach did to conquer our worlds!"

He paused and blinked in surprise at the blank look the noble gave him.

"You _did_ steal it, didn't you? Ywach was sure you did!"

"Eh, Ichigo," Isshin said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, "The thing is, Byakuya was badly injured...I guess when that car hit him. He doesn't remember a thing. The only reason he knows his name and who you are is because I told him."

"What?" Ichigo asked, staring.

"Your father is right," Byakuya said softly, "I don't know who I am, except what he has told me. I don't how or why I escaped, or why I went to Karakura Town. And I don't know who Orihime is, or what her Shun Shun Rikka is. I am afraid I am useless to you. Without pain medication, I cannot even cope enough to move."

Ichigo gave his father a panicked look.

"Is Byakuya going to be all right?" he asked urgently, "Do you think he'll recover fully?"

"His body and that gigai that's stuck on him are a mess, but he'll heal up, if he takes it easy for a while. His memory should return as he improves, but I can't make any guarantees. He's going to have to take it a day at a time. And in the meantime, you have to be sure that you don't lead anyone here."

Ichigo nodded.

"I sent the guys who were with me to chase down some others who are following, and I told them I was still hunting Byakuya. They think I'm on the king's side."

"And I cannot tell who is or who is not," Byakuya mused as Isshin and Yuzu left the room.

"Don't worry," Ichigo said ruefully, "It's hard for anyone to tell who the king has messed with. I think, for now, we have to assume that the only ones we can trust are the people right here. I think if we stick together, we can do this. We can find wherever you concealed the Shun Shun Rikka and we can find Orihme!"

"But how will we do that when I do not know if I stole it or not, or where I might have hidden it? Ichigo..."

"You let me do the worrying," Ichigo said soothingly, reaching out and squeezing Byakuya's pale hand, "Just focus on getting well."

He paused at the questioning look the noble gave him.

"Ichigo, I must ask you something personal. Please do not take offense."

"Okay," Ichigo said uncertainly.

"Your father, when he told me about you and showed me your picture...said something. It made me curious."

"Well, you'll find out that sometimes my dad's full of crap. What did he tell you about me?" the Shiba heir asked, smiling in amusement.

"He said that you are in love with me," Byakuya said bluntly, making Ichigo stiffen in reaction.

"He said that?"

"Yes. And...I wonder if that's true or if he wrong? I would not ask, but without my memory, I am at a terrible disadvantage."

"I know that," Ichigo assured him, "And maybe we ought to talk about that when you start remembering things. Because, when you do remember, you are going to realize that...it doesn't really matter that I love you."

"What?" Byakuya asked, frowning in confusion.

"A person who loves you, shouldn't fail you," Ichigo said penitently, "I failed you in all of the worst ways."

"Ichigo, I don't understand."

"Yeah, because of me, you don't understand. You don't even remember."

"Why are you saying this?"

"I'm saying it because it's true," Ichigo said sadly, "You asked me to protect Soul Society. You trusted me to defend it, and all of the people we cared about. I didn't do that. So, until the day that I undo that failure, I don't deserve your love. That's why we need to put that aside and not think about it while we're fighting to stay alive and to make things right again."

"We don't have to speak of it if you don't want to," Byakuya agreed, "but if you love me, I ask you not to leave me. I am injured and I am alone except for you. You are really all I have, Ichigo!"

Ichigo's brown eyes filled with tears and Byakuya's hands took hold of his tightly.

"I want to tell you that's not true," Ichigo went on, "I want to tell you that you still have your sister, Rukia, your cousin, Tetsuya, your comrade and friend, Renji...everyone. But when Soul Society fell and Ywach became king, he took over their minds. And I don't know how to get them back! You say you feel alone. I do too. And that's why I won't leave you. I'm staying right here. We'll get you healed and we'll find the way to get back what we lost. I promise you that, even though you don't know if you can trust my promises."

"I can trust your promises, Ichigo," Byakuya said, touching the Shiba heir's cheek with soft fingertips, "But...you are wrong about something."

"Oh? What am I wrong about?"

Byakuya gave him a faint smile.

"You said that you failed me."

"I did. Soul Society fell, Byakuya," Ichigo insisted.

"But, as I see it, because you are trying to undo the past, you are still defending Soul Society. You are going to keep your promise."

The Shiba heir gave him a surprised look, then smiled at him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But enough about that, let's take care of you. Lie down, okay? Dad told you to rest."

He watched as Byakuya laid back against the pillows.

"You said that you would stay with me?" Byakuya asked.

"Yeah, and I will," the Shiba heir promised, relaxing in the chair.

"Not like that," Byakuya said meaningfully, "I need to feel your arms around me."

Ichigo stared at him through tortured eyes.

"I told you, I don't deserve to..."

"But I need to feel your arms around me," Byakuya insisted, "If I have forgotten you, remind me who you are. Don't wallow in your guilt anymore. Help me fix what's wrong, Ichigo."

Ichigo breathed in and out slowly, looking steadily into Byakuya's dark grey eyes. Finally, he nodded and moved forward, climbing onto the bed and lying down at Byakuya's side. The king's concubine turned and curled into his arms, resting his head on Ichigo's warm shoulder.

"Do you still hurt?" Ichigo asked.

"Some. No matter how good the painkiller, it was a devastating injury. But I will be all right now, thanks to Ishida Ryuuken, your father and sisters...and you, Ichigo."

"I haven't done anything," Ichigo complained.

Byakuya's smile warmed sweetly.

"You are doing something right now," he pointed out, "Your arms are the first things I've felt since I woke up here, that seem familiar."

"But uh, Byakuya, we weren't lovers or anything," the flustered Shiba heir pointed out, "I never got the chance to hold you in my arms."

Byakuya turned his head slightly to whisper into Ichigo's ear.

"Then, perhaps you shouldn't assume that you were the only one dreaming of this."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ywach-sama," Hisagi said, bowing, "we received your message and have brought Kuchiki Tetsuya and Abarai Renji back from Karakura Town."

The king gazed quietly at the two bound prisoners for a moment.

"Thank you. You may go," he told the two officers.

"Hai, Ywach-sama!" Kensei and Hisagi answered, bowing together.

They turned and flash stepped away, while Ywach moved closer to the two prisoners. He looked into Tetsuya's widened sapphire eyes disapprovingly.

"Kuchiki Tetsuya," he growled softly, "of all people, I thought that you would be successful in apprehending your cousin and bringing back what he stole from me."

"I am sorry, Ywach-sama," Tetsuya answered penitently, "We followed your orders until Shiba Ichigo told us to find out who was following us. We weren't sure it wasn't an enemy. We did not know you would mistrust us and have our own forces spy on us."

The king's hand moved suddenly, striking Tetsuya and sending him crashing to the floor with his hands still bound and unable to break his fall. He laid on the ground, gasping as the king's foot struck his ribs.

"I am sorry, Ywach-sama!" Tetsuya panted, "I should not have failed you!"

"You are lucky I let you live!" Bach hissed, grabbing the noble by the hair and dragging him to his feet as Renji watched with dull, barely comprehending eyes, "Byakuya is out there and he has something that belongs to me. You are the only one I know can get close to him. But...maybe you need a little bit of help to draw him in."

Tetsuya stared back at him through frightened eyes as the king's mouth fastened on his and he felt and tasted something sickly sweet that sent his head into a spin almost instantly.

"Wh-what are you doing to him?" Renji asked, blinking in confusion, "T-tetsuya?"

The king released the noble and watched as Tetsuya slid onto his knees.

"_Poison_," Bach hissed softly, "You see, I know that you have the ability, Tetsuya, to hold back poison, and I know for how long. If you take too long to find and return Byakuya to me, then I will not be able to counteract the poison I just gave you before it is too late. Go now, both of you. Find Byakuya...and bring him to me!"

Tetsuya choked and gasped, coughing repeatedly as Renji lifted him and flash stepped away.

"H-how will we find him?" the noble asked between gasps of discomfort.

"I don't know," Renji said shakily, "but we have to do something! If we don't, you're gonna die! I don't want you to die! We have to capture your cousin. If we do, then the king will save you."

Tetsuya looked back at Renji through devastated eyes.

"Do you really believe that?" he asked softly, "Don't you begin to see that the king is treacherous?"

"Shh!" Renji pleaded, tears leaking onto his face as he opened a senkaimon and carried the noble into the living world, "Just take it easy, okay?"

He fled the king's palace and raced into the living world, then paused, looking around the park they exited into with desperate eyes.

_I don't know what to do! How do I find Byakuya? I don't know which way to go!_

"Do you want to save your friend?" a male voice asked.

Renji stiffened as Uryu stepped out from among the trees.

"Y-you! You're the king's successor!" Renji said accusingly, "Why would you help us?"

"Be quiet and come with me," Uryu ordered him, "Do exactly as I say if you want your lover to live!"

He led them along the quiet streets until they reached a house with the name _Ishida_ on the mailbox.

"Knock on the door and speak to the man inside. He may be able to help you. Go now!"

Renji raced to the door, holding tightly to Tetsuya as he pounded on the door. A sob escaped him as the door opened and a bespectacled man observed him with surprised eyes.

"Are you...? Can you help us?" Renji pleaded, "This is Kuchiki Tetsuya. He is Kuchiki Byakuya's cousin. The king poisoned him and said the Tetsuya will die if he does not return Byakuya to the palace!"

The man looked sadly into Renji's desperate eyes.

"I am sorry. I cannot help you," he said somberly.

"_Please_!" Renji pleaded, "I don't want Tetsuya to die! I love him. Look, the king will let him die unless we find Byakuya. Are you just going to let him die?"

Ryuuken continued to gaze at him sternly.

"To protect _her_ from you, yes. I will allow him to die. And you should allow it as well. Under no circumstances should you return to the king, whether you find Kuchiki Byakuya or not. If you do, you and Tetsuya will die anyway."

"S-so," Renji sobbed, dropping onto his knees and holding Tetsuya against him, "There's nothing I can do? Nothing will convince you to help us?"

"You are under the control of the king," Ryuuken sighed sadly, "I can do nothing to assist you."

"You have to help us! I'm begging you!" Renji howled, his reiatsu rising around him in a rising red flame.

The power rose to a wild roar around him, making Ryuuken step back and stare at him in horrified fascination.

_Will he come apart right here?_

"HELP US!" Renji screamed desperately, his power exploding around him and shattering the controlling collar he wore.

As it fell away, Renji stiffened and shook his head in confusion.

"Wh-what? What was that? What happened?"

Ryuuken shook his head in wonder, then looked at the two young men more gently.

"You have broken the king's controls," he said disbelievingly, "You must love that young man very much. And look, you broke his collar too. Now...I can help you."

"Thank you!" Renji sobbed, collapsing at the man's feet, "J-just don't let Tetsuya die!"

"If you want to save your friend, then you must do exactly as I tell you."


End file.
